Mike Whaley: The Connellys: Father-daughter come full circle

Curt Connelly saw his sporting life come full circle last week when his daughter, Gabby, signed a national letter of intent to play softball on partial scholarship at UMass-Lowell.

Curt played college baseball for four years on scholarship at the University of New Hampshire where he was the Wildcats’ last center fielder. The program was eliminated after the 1997 season.

“I think about that all the time,” Gabby said. “It was my dad’s dream and it’s my same dream. It’s great to share that with him and be able to say, yeah, I’m going to play a college sport and I get a scholarship for it.

“That’s really nice,” she added, “because my dad is one of the people I look up to most when it comes to softball. He coached me when I started. He’s always been there.”

Curt starred at Spaulding High School and was recruited to play at UNH by former Wildcat star Dave Bettencourt, who coached Curt his freshman season before moving on. Bettencourt also coached Gabby this past summer on the New England Firebirds, an elite women’s softball team out of North Andover, Mass., that fared very well against teams in the northeast (going 34-4-2, according to Curt). Bettencourt was also instrumental in helping Gabby connect with UMass-Lowell.

“She’s a lot like her dad,” Bettencourt said. “He was my first recruit at UNH. He could beat you with his glove, his arm, his legs and his bat. Gabby brings the same things, too. She can beat you a lot of ways.”

Gabby is a senior at Spaulding where she plays volleyball and softball. She has played second base, shortstop and center field for the softball team, but will likely focus on shortstop this spring, the same position she played for the Firebirds. She figures to play second base in college.

Gabby said of Bettencourt: “He helped everyone on the team with the recruiting process. He actually came to me after one of the tournaments and said UMass-Lowell is really interested in having you.”

Gabby talked to the River Hawks coach, Sean Cotter, visited the campus, met the team, and liked it all.

“The team was just great,” she said. “They made me feel at home. The coaching staff was phenomenal. They’re going to be one of the best D-II programs in New England very soon.”

Very soon might even be right now. The River Hawks went 34-18 this past season, losing in the NCAA D-II East Regional Tournament semifinals.

Gabby’s choices came down to Lowell and D-III Wheaton, and she had no trouble giving Lowell the nod. She said her scholarship covers the cost of one year and that could go up in time. She wants to major in professional writing and journalism.

Although Gabby has been a starter since her freshman year at Spaulding and has excelled at summer softball with the Rochester Slammers, Curt feels the Firebirds’ experience has elevated her game even more. The team had some very good players, including Gabby’s former Spaulding teammate Paige Cormier, now playing for Saint Anselm College, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference with UMass-Lowell. Current Spaulding teammates Ali Trueworthy and Emma Rhodes were also on the team.

“Dave was an eye opener for all the kids,” Curt said. “He was pretty tough. The joke was, if you can play for him, you can play for anybody. When the game’s on the line, he’s a maniac. But he really prepared the girls for any level. And we beat some teams we had no business beating. We stayed long in every tournament we went to.”

Playing for Bettencourt was good for Gabby. Curt said her footwork improved, the ball wasn’t in her hands long, and she handled pressure well.

“Gabby has a passion for the game,” Bettencourt added. “She wants to be good. She wants to excel. She’s always trying to get better. She’s always working on parts of her game. ... She’s very enthusiastic, picking up her teammates. She does all the little things from the coaching standpoint.”

Spaulding coach Sheila Colson agrees and says knew she had a special player when Gabby first arrived on the varsity scene as a freshman, earning a starting spot at second base.

“When she came in as a freshman, I saw her as one of those top players,” Colson said. “Her versatility, going from infield to outfield certainly speaks to Gabby’s willingness (to play anywhere) and love of the game of softball. She’s been a strong, positive influence.”

When she played center field as a sophomore, Gabby remembered her dad was very happy.

“Center field is in my blood,” she said. “He was thrilled that year. Oh, we’re going to do so much outfield work. I don’t think I’ve taken so many fly balls on my own time.”

Where many teenagers flinch at the presence of a parent, Gabby’s been tickled to have her dad there every step of the way.

“He’s the first to tell me what I’m doing wrong,” she said. “Why I’m not hitting the ball the way I want to. Anything, really. He’s the first person I go to. He’s the person I trust most when I’m taking advice.”

Gabby says her dad helps her with the physical and mental aspects of the game. Before every high school game, he sends her a three- to six-page text full of advice.

“Relax, have fun, be positive, wait on the ball,” Gabby said with a smile. “Little reminders all the time.”

Little reminders that have made a big difference.

Mike Whaley is the Sports Editor for Foster’s Daily Democrat and the Rochester Times. He can be reached at mwhaley@fosters.com.